Orion 3

Orion 3 was an American spacecraft which was intended for use by Orion Network Systems, as a geostationary communications satellite. It was to have been positioned in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 139° East, from where it was to have provided communications services to Asia and Oceania. Due to a malfunction during launch, it was instead delivered to a useless low Earth orbit.

Orion 3 was constructed by Hughes Space and Communications, based on an HS-601HP satellite bus. It was equipped with 10 G/H band (IEEE C band) and 33 J band (IEEE Ku band) transponders, and at launch it had a mass of 4,300 kilograms (9,500 lb). The satellite was expected to remain operational for around fifteen years. Orion Network Systems merged with Loral Space & Communications in 1999 after the Orion 3 launch failure.

Launch

The Orion 3 satellite was launched on the second flight of the Delta III rocket, using the standard 8930 configuration. The launch occurred from Space Launch Complex 17B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, at 01:00:00 GMT on 5 May 1999. The first stage and solid rocket motors performed as expected, and the first burn of the second stage was conducted as planned, injecting the spacecraft into low Earth orbit. Following this, the rocket entered a coast phase, before the second stage restarted for what was planned to be a 162 second burn to insert Orion 3 into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. Around 3.4 seconds after igniting, the RL-10-B-2 engine of the second stage cut off after a malfunction was detected, leaving the spacecraft in an orbit of around 160 by 1,284 kilometres (99 mi × 798 mi), with 29.5° inclination. It was the second failure of an RL-10 powered rocket in less than a week, after the Centaur upper stage of a Titan IV rocket failed during the launch of USA-143 on 30 April, although this incident was later attributed to a programming error.

List of Constellation missions

The Constellation Program was NASA's planned future human spaceflight program between 2005 and 2009, which aimed to develop a new crewed spacecraft (Orion) and a pair of launchers (Ares I and Ares V) to continue servicing the International Space Station and return to the Moon.

As of 2009, a single unmanned suborbital launch test (Ares I-X) had been flown, with crewed missions anticipated to begin between 2014 (by NASA projections) and 2017-19 (according to the independent Augustine Commission). On February 1, 2010, President Obama announced that he intended to cancel the program with the U.S. 2011 fiscal year budget. A revised proposal in April confirmed that the Orion spacecraft would be retained for future mission beyond low earth orbit, with the Ares launchers redeveloped into the Space Launch System. However, the Constellation Program itself was cancelled, with low-earth orbit operations transferred to the Commercial Crew Development program.

Development of mission plans

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Latest News for: orion 3 (satellite)

Ovzon introduces two new satellite communication services based on Ovzon 3 technology

SpaceDaily 08 May 2024
The services, dubbed Ovzon Pegasus and Ovzon Orion, leverage the advanced capabilities ...

Rosenstein: Vote for Angela Alsobrooks and April McClain-Delaney

Washington Blade 07 May 2024
She has served as assistant general counsel and regulatory affairs director at Orion Satellite where she oversaw domestic and international regulatory efforts in approximately 20 countries, and served ...

Portuguese-flagged ship is hit far in Arabian Sea, raising concerns over Houthi rebel capabilities

Stars and Stripes 30 Apr 2024
The attack on the MSC Orion, occurring some 600 kilometers (375 miles) off the coast of Yemen, appeared to be the first confirmed deep-sea assault claimed by the Houthis since they began targeting ships in November.

Portuguese-flagged ship is hit far in Arabian Sea

Las Vegas Review-Journal 30 Apr 2024
The attack on the MSC Orion, occurring some 375 miles off the coast of Yemen, appeared to be the first confirmed deep-sea assault claimed by the Houthis since they began targeting ships in November.

Russia's first Angara space launch vehicle finally launched at third attempt

Pravda 11 Apr 2024
The Orion upper stage of the Angara-A5 heavy rocket launched the Gagarinets ...

After delay, Delta IV Heavy lifts off for the last time

Phys Dot Org 10 Apr 2024
They've been responsible for launching Mars rovers, space telescopes, solar probes, weather satellites and more during a 63-year-run ... Another eight Atlas V rockets are set aside to fly up satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper internet constellation.

After delay, Delta IV Heavy set for final launch ever

Sun Sentinel 09 Apr 2024
It’s been been responsible for launching Mars rovers, space telescopes, solar probes, weather satellites and more during a 63-year-run ... Probe, the NOAA’s GOES satellites and dozens of GPS satellites.

End of an era as final Delta IV Heavy closes out 63 years of launches

Sun Sentinel 28 Mar 2024
The Delta family of rockets have been responsible for launching Mars rovers, space telescopes, solar probes, weather satellites and more during a 63-year-run that began when Dwight D ... GPS satellites.

End of an era as final Delta IV Heavy rocket closes out 63 years of launches

Stars and Stripes 28 Mar 2024
(Tribune News Service) — The Delta family of rockets have been responsible for launching Mars rovers, space telescopes, solar probes, weather satellites and more during a 63-year-run that began when Dwight D.

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The background image shows an infrared view of Taurus captured by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite ... The background image shows an infrared view of Orion captured by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite.

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The Cleveland American 01 Mar 2024
If all goes well, the Orion capsule will fly by Earth's satellite during a ten-day journey before returning to the ocean. Destination Tuesday ... thanks to a large black cone called “Orion” ... “We have to prepare for all scenarios.” ... .

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Push Square 07 Feb 2024
... already in development, known by the codename "Project Orion", and developers with some serious credits have begun to assemble at the company's Boston studio (and a satellite studio in Vancouver).

Movie Review: 'Orion and the Dark' loses itself in the leap from children's book to animated film

North Shore News 31 Jan 2024
Orion — with tufts of wavy brown hair, a thin mouth, ears like satellite dishes and nicely voiced by Jacob Tremblay — is visited one night by a hulking Dark, in a black cloak, with only his eyes and teeth in white.

Movie Review: 'Orion and the Dark' loses itself in the leap from children's book to ...

Rutland Herald 31 Jan 2024
Orion — with tufts of wavy brown hair, a thin mouth, ears like satellite dishes and nicely voiced by Jacob Tremblay — is visited one night by a hulking Dark, in a black cloak, with only his eyes and teeth in white.

Movie Review: ‘Orion and the Dark’ loses itself in the leap from children’s book to ...

Wtop 31 Jan 2024
Orion — with tufts of wavy brown hair, a thin mouth, ears like satellite dishes and nicely voiced by Jacob Tremblay — is visited one night by a hulking Dark, in a black cloak, with only his eyes and teeth in white.

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